Maratha Ditch

Maratha Ditch (archaic spelling: Mahratta Ditch) was a three-mile long moat excavated around Calcutta (now known as Kolkata) in Bengal, India, in 1742, as a protection against possible attacks by marauding Bargis, as the Marathas were known locally. The Bargis, however, never came to the city. Later, the ditch proved to be useless when the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, came and ransacked the British settlement in 1756.[1] The ditch was never completely built. It was mostly filled up in 1799 to build the Circular Road and the remainder was filled up in 1892–93. It earned Kolkatans the sobriquet "Ditchers". The area bound by the ditch was considered to be the original town of Kolkata.[2]

For about ten years (1741–1751) the spectre of Bargi invasion and large scale plundering of the countryside dominated the western part of Bengal. Bargi invasions took place almost as an annual event. Bargi is corruption of a Marathi word which meant horsemen who were provided with horses and arms by the Maratha Empire in contrast to the siladars, who had their own horses and arms.[3]

The Bargi invasions played on the creative impulse of the people. Even to this day, mothers in Bengal sing the cradle song to put their children to sleep -

Child has fallen asleep, silence has set in the locality, the Bargis have come to our landsBulbulis (birds) have eaten the rice grains, how shall I pay the tax?[5]

Alivardi Khan became Nawab of Bengal in April 1740, after defeating and killing Sarfraz Khan. His rule was challenged by Sarfraj Khan’s brother-in-law Rustam Jung, who was naib nazim (deputy governor) of Orissa. Alivardi defeated him in a battle at Falwaei, near Balasore, placed his own nephew as naib nazim of Orissa and left for his capital, Murshidabad. Rustam Jung sought the assistance of the Maratha ruler of Nagpur, Raghoji I Bhonsle. He regained control of Orissa with the assistance of Marathas, who in the process discovered how easy it was to plunder the rich countryside in Bengal. Alivardi returned to Orissa and again defeated Rustam Jung, but before he returned to Murshidabad, a Maratha cavalry under Bhaskar Padit was sent to Bengal by Bhonsle. They entered through Panchet and started looting the countryside.[3]

For about ten years, the Bargis raided and plundered Bengal every year. Contemporary chroniclers have left behind vivid descriptions of Bargi terror, their hit-and-run tactics and the helplesness of the Nawab’s army in checking them. Alivardi showed exemplary courage and military skill in every frontal battle that took place, but the objective of the Bargis was not occupation of territory but plundering. The Nawab’s soldiers could not match the Maratha horsemen in speed and manoevureability. Only the Ganges -Bhagirathi river line proved a barrier to their movement. They crossed it only on a few occasions.[3]

The Bargi invasions came to an end in May 1751 after the Nawab and the Marathas reached an agreement, including the secession of Orissa.[3]

Lt. Col Mark Wood's Map of Kolkata in 1784-85 showing the extent of the Maratha Ditch

When the Bargis started plundering the Bengal countryside, the Nawab was still powerful, and the British were in the process of developing their trading outpost at Kolkata. It was fear of the Maratha attack that made them dig the Maratha Ditch, cutting across the only pathway, north of Kolkata, through which invasions by land were possible.[3]

According to H. E. A. Cotton, the country was laid waste from Balasore to Rajmahal. The Mukwah Tannah Fort, which stood near the later day Indian Botanical Gardens in Shibpur, was captured and crowds of inhabitants of the country on the western side of the river came and implored the protection of the English, who in consequence of the general alarm, obtained permission from the Nawab Alivardi to build an entrenchment round their territory.[6]

The original plan of the ditch extended for seven miles but in six months three miles of it were finished. When it was found that the Bargis did not approach Kolkata, further excavation stopped. Except for a detour on the north-east at Halsibagan, to enclose the garden houses of Gobindram Mitter and Umichand, it followed the later day Circular Road (Upper Circular Road has been renamed Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, and Lower Circular Road has been renamed Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Road) from Perin’s Point at the north-west extremity of Sutanuti (in present-day Bagbazar), where the Chitpur Creek met the river, down to a spot near the present Entally corner. It was planned to excavate it to the south of Gobindapur, but that was stalled.[6]

Although the Maratha Ditch was thought of as a protection against the possible plunder of the Kolkata by the Bargis, the "natives" had to pay for the construction of the Maratha Ditch to protect the British seat of power, Fort William.[7]

Siraj ud-Daulah succeeded Alivadi Khan as the Nawab of Bengal. Till 1756, the legal status of the English was that of zamindar. In 1756, Siraj decided to attack Kolkata. On 16 June 1756, the Nawab reached the outskirts of Kolkata with some 30,000 troops and heavy artillery. The major part of Siraj’s troops crossed the Maratha Ditch near Sealdah on 18 June and the Battle of Lal Dighi was fought.[8]

The Maratha Ditch was filled up in 1799 to create the Circular Road. Whatever was left of it was filled up in 1892–93 with the earth and rubble from the construction of Harrison Road (renamed Mahatma Gandhi Road).[2]

While the Maratha Ditch has become part of history, in the north Kolkata neighbourhood of Bagbazar, there still is a Maratha Ditch Lane, connecting Nandalal Bose Lane and Akhoy Bose Lane. It runs parallel to Bagbazar Street and Galiff Street/ Mahatma Sisir Kumar Sarani.[9]